social media manager skills to look for.
anyone can say 'knows instagram'. here are the skills that actually move a brand — judgement, taste and numeracy.
the best social media managers are hired for judgement, not tool knowledge. look for strategy, writing, visual taste, community instinct and numeracy.
anyone can list "knows instagram" on a CV. the skills that actually move a brand are harder to spot and far more valuable. here is what to screen for when you hire.
— 01judgement over tools.
platforms change monthly; judgement does not. the best managers know what to post, what to ignore, and when to change course. tool knowledge is table stakes — taste and timing are the edge.
— 02writing and visual sense.
social is writing and design under pressure. a strong manager writes a hook that stops the scroll and recognises a good piece of content from a mediocre one. without taste, output is just volume.
— 03community instinct and numeracy.
they should genuinely like talking to people — community is half the job — and be comfortable reading data to decide what happens next. warmth plus numbers is a rare, valuable combination.